NOTES: The story of the fearless lad in the haunted castle is well known throughout Europe, and is found in North America as well. This retelling is based on the version from the Brothers Grimm—but with a lot of liberties taken.

Hans gave a yank and—Pop!—the two skeletons’ arms came right off. The music and the dancing stopped.

“I think you lost something,” said Hans.

The skeletons rushed at Hans and started jumping on him. Hans grabbed a chair and swung it, this way and that.

Crash! Bash!

Bones flew here, there, and everywhere, till the skeletons lay all in pieces on the floor.

Hans gathered them up and tossed them out the window. “I like a little dancing,” he said, as he settled again before the fire, “but I wonder when I’m going to get those willies!”

The clock struck three. Bong. Bong. Bong.

From up the chimney, a deep voice called, “LOOK OUT BELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWW!”

Something huge came falling down, swerved to miss the fire, and—thump—landed before the fireplace. It was a giant body, with no arms or legs or head.

“LOOK OUT BELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWW!”

Thump thump thump thump. Two giant legs and two giant arms landed next to it.

“LOOK OUT BELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWW!”

Thump. A giant head landed by the rest.

“I get it!” said Hans. “It’s a puzzle, and I have to put it together!”

Hans heaved the two giant legs and stuck them onto the body. Snap. Snap.

“Hey!” thundered the deep voice, close by. It was the giant head. “You got the shoes pointing out!”

“Oh, sorry,” said Hans. He switched the legs. Then he stuck on the arms and the head. Snap. Snap. Snap.

The giant jumped up. “The spell is broken! You’re the only one ever to get me together. The others all died of fright long before this! Now follow me to the castle treasure.”

Hans followed him to the doorway. The giant said, “You first.”

“After you,” said Hans.

The giant led him to the courtyard and pointed to a shovel under a tree. “Dig there!”

“You dig there!” said Hans.

The giant dug till he uncovered three pots of gold. “Take them inside!”

“You take them inside!”

The giant took the pots of gold into the great hall. He said, “One is for the king, one is for the poor, and one is for you.”

Then he fell into pieces again and flew up the chimney—first the head, then the arms and legs, then the giant body.

“Some folks just can’t keep things together,” said Hans. He went back to his chair before the fire, curled up in it, and sighed. “It’s nice to be rich, but when will I ever get the willies?”

* * *

And that is how Hans stayed alive, broke the spell, and found the treasure. When the King heard the tale, he let Hans live in the castle, and when Hans grew up, he married the King’s daughter. Within a year they had triplets—three fine sons. Hans named all three of them Willy.

“And now,” he said, “at last I have the Willies!”

Tips for Telling

Of course, this tale is especially suited for Halloween, but it can be told any time of year. Scary stories are always popular—even if they’re not really scary.

You can tell the story just as it is here, but it’s also a great vehicle for improvisation. In fact, that’s partly how I developed it, as mentioned above and described in my article “Tinker, Tailor, Writer, Storyteller.” At the striking of the clock, I had my audiences suggest opponents for Hans in the castle, then instantly spun out the scenes. It isn’t as hard as you might think, if you keep Hans’s character firmly in mind. You can string out as many scenes as you like between midnight and dawn, while the clock keeps striking the hours. Of course, you’ll want to wrap up with the giant, an important traditional element.

Part of the fun of this tale is the sound effects—the creaking drawbridge, the werewolf’s growls, the snapping together of the giant, and of course, the striking clock. For the bong, I hold a fist in front of me and shake it back and forth to create a strong vibrato. You can invite your audience to make the sounds with you. In fact, you could create a whole four-part chorus out of the skeleton music.